118 karma · joined November 15, 2019
Airbnb is so supply constricted that it virtually always sides with the host. Compare that to NYC housing laws which are some of the most tenant friendly I could’ve written myself. So Airbnb screws individuals through various policies degrading consumer protection.
The world decided zero interest rates were good, so Chinese investors like the aforementioned buy places outright with minimal capital down and rent them out to local Canadians at a premium, driving rent and prices up. The result is that domestic markets have been brutalized and the rich have won in the zero rate economy, especially on housing.
I’ve had 8 Airbnb experiences and 4 turned out awful, the other four were fantastic. I used to think the company was amazing for building this new market now I’m completely jaded and feel bad for hoping this company rots
As someone who closely follows & respects Thiel and for his clarity of thought + entrepreneurial ability, how do these outlets get away with writing stuff like this while still maintaining an audience
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_quality_o...
Healthcare reform is something we already have the levers to execute through government policy, and I believe it will happen during the next financial crisis along with entitlement reform.
On the other hand, there are certain trends that there are no obvious ways to reverse, namely demographic decline, geographic dominance, and technological innovation.
When you consider the decline of America in the face of China, for example, consider that China faces a far more serious demographic issue, and as Russia teaches us, it is almost impossible to grow economically during such a period. America's birth rate, however, is 1.8 births per woman with immigration putting the country into a healthy range.
Geographically, American is set up between the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic. If global warming does hit the arctic hard, we will have access to the arctic ocean via Alaska, whereas China and other regional super powers will not. In terms of energy, raw resources, and land America is also looking at self sufficiency for the next century to come.
Technologically, America draws on the best universities in the world, with cities that have external economies of scale so large that they will be hard to displace (ie SV, NYC, Boston). Not to mention we have an engrained culture that affirms those who experiment and forgives those who fail. In the technological sense I think America will succeed also.
Instead of looking at this as the end of America, I think people need to recognize that we face extraordinary problems, which we can overcome. In my own opinion, I think the highest order offence against the American people is American business co-opting the government, and as soon as we work this out, we will have a better ability to overcome issues of healthcare, education, etc.
It is a start up to compete with powerpoint that raised 50 million pre-mvp... yea ... sweet landing page tho
Literature and the great novels have consistent themes that are unending in their search for answers, and often this evokes a deeper level of thought compared to the internet.
That said, when I do watch tv I try to stick to artistic movies or something I can learn from. Recently I watched Come and See, an excellent movie about Nazis in Belaruse. After watching it I thought this movie deserves a literary analysis of its own.
2) America will reform entitlements in the wake of a depression
3) China will become a serious regional aggressor
4) We debate capitalism vs socialism more often
5) We realize AI is a buzzword that won’t replace 40+% of jobs
6) Tech gets its 2 minutes of hate, we reject chinese style surveilence
7) Europe's decline quickens due to negative rates, low productivity, an aging population, indebtedness and unfunded obligations
8) Trump wins and the DNC reforms then runs 2024 on healthcare policy
9) Education gets slightly less liberal, prices will drop
10) FAANG's aggregate market cap won't recover its peak value before the next crash
11) Bitcoin crosses 40k
As far as a VAT goes, you could adjust the VAT to fall heavily on certain items, but in many ways you're right. My point in that statement was to find a way to tax large corporations. I don't think the US tax code is "perfectly set up to boost taxation" when one of the largest growth sectors pays such low rates. Also the top 25% already pay quite high tax rates, and this option is also politically infeasible at least right now.
Long story short, your circumstance right now doesn’t define your future at all, you have to be relentless in your effort to get out of your position right now. I developed a portfolio of two websites and a highly complex mobile app that I launched with a full scale backend, it included redis , sockets , MySQL , and ELB AWS.
I’m not in a position to give a job but I can encourage you and be a reminder that it is possible. My advice is to never look back, be relentless in portfolio building and applying to jobs. These days I have a full time mobile development job, working on my second app, and have enough savings to pay to continue my school + my current company is encouraging me and helping me finish my degree.
Do let me know if u have any questions or anything specific you need advice on